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The Effect of School Closures on Standardized Test Scores: Evidence from a Zero-COVID Environment

Author

Listed:
  • Nalini Prasad

    (UNSW Sydney)

  • Christian Gillitzer

    (The University of Sydney)

Abstract

Pandemic school closures were widespread but occurred together with COVID-19 health effects. Australia’s successful COVID-19 elimination policies provide a unique setting to studythe effect of school closures on learning loss absent significant health effects. We exploit variation in the duration of school closures across Australian regions of 9-157 school days and student-level test score data from a national standardized test with high participation to estimate learning loss. Learning loss was substantially smaller than comparable estimates from the literature, including for disadvantaged socioeconomic groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Nalini Prasad & Christian Gillitzer, 2023. "The Effect of School Closures on Standardized Test Scores: Evidence from a Zero-COVID Environment," Discussion Papers 2023-13, School of Economics, The University of New South Wales.
    • Handle: RePEc:swe:wpaper:2023-13
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    File URL: http://research.economics.unsw.edu.au/RePEc/papers/2023-13.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Clément de Chaisemartin & Xavier D'Haultfœuille, 2020. "Two-Way Fixed Effects Estimators with Heterogeneous Treatment Effects," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(9), pages 2964-2996, September.
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    3. Edouard Mathieu & Hannah Ritchie & Esteban Ortiz-Ospina & Max Roser & Joe Hasell & Cameron Appel & Charlie Giattino & Lucas Rodés-Guirao, 2021. "A global database of COVID-19 vaccinations," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(7), pages 947-953, July.
    4. Bastian A. Betthäuser & Anders M. Bach-Mortensen & Per Engzell, 2023. "A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(3), pages 375-385, March.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    student test scores; COVID-19; NAPLAN; pandemic;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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